I Solemnly Swear that I am Up to No Good
by thebluevalentine
Summary: A small series chronicling of the many pranks and adventures of the Marauders, from their first meeting until the betrayal that separated the four for good. POV: Sirius and Remus.
1. Many Meetings

**I Solemnly Swear that I am up to No Good.****  
****Chapter 1: Many Meetings**

* * *

Platform 9 and ¾. It wasn't quite as large as he had imagined, but Remus suspected that in his excitement he could have imagined just about anything. Still, he couldn't believe he was actually going to Hogwarts. Remus had been sure that for him, anything close to a normal life was out of the question. But here he was, headed off to school like any 11-year-old should. The small, brown-haired boy stood next to his trunk with his amber eyes fixed on the crimson monster of a train that was the Hogwarts Express.

Beside him, Remus' mother must have noticed the anxiety on his face, because she began offering a continuous stream of reassurance. "Now don't you worry about a thing... Dumbledore has got it all settled... We'll pull you out the second we need to... But, I'm sure we won't have too."

Remus wondered who she was really reassuring. "Mum," he interrupted. "I know, but the train'll be leaving soon."

He turned out to be correct. As if by fate, the final warning whistle sounded after the words had barely passed his lips.

Mrs. Lupin accepted this in inner-defeat. "Oh, all right." She gave him a final hug goodbye before turning and vanishing between the walls of platforms 9 and 10.

As Remus started towards the train, he fought a sudden urge to run back to his mother and have her take him home, back to his room where he wouldn't have to go it alone, the one place he would always be welcome… But he shook his head. "I can't live in fear forever."

He took another step forward, but was almost knocked off his feet when a boy with shoulder-length jet black hair ran into him, and spilled the contents of his trunk all over the floor of the station. The boy had not even looked back. He had run straight into him and onto the train. Remus was utterly astounded that he hadn't at least looked at him, let alone stop and apologize. He looked at his things a moment longer, his spell books, a few old novels with wrinkled spines, hand-me-down school robes… Then silently, he bent down and carefully put everything back where it was before.

The unfamiliar emotion of rage filled his chest, though he did his best to quash it. Someone like him didn't have the luxury of reacting angrily. He wandered down the narrow hallway of the train looking for an empty compartment, but found none. He silently cursed getting on the train so late, wondering if he would ever find a place to sit.

He was just about ready to give up, when there was a loud BOOM. Remus turned in time to see two boys running out of a nearby compartment (which was now spewing emerald green smoke into the corridor), laughing hysterically. One he recognized instantly as the boy he encountered at the station. The other boy he did not know. He had short, messy, dark-brown hair, and glasses that seemed at least 3 sizes to big.

Forgetting about the fact that he had no idea who these mischief makers were, Remus faced to them and half yelled, "What on earth did you DO?"

Still laughing, the boy with glasses turned to him. "Dung bomb! Sirius here thought they needed one after what they said about his-"

"Shut up, James!" said Sirius. "They wouldn't even have known if it weren't for your big mouth!" He sounded angry, but he was still smiling.

The smoke was quickly spreading to the other compartments, and their occupants could be heard yelling their complaints into the hall.

"What the hell?"

"Oh, it smells!"

"Someone call a teacher!"

Suddenly, a woman's voice was heard over those of the boys and girls, "What's going on out there?"

Remus watched as the boys smiles vanished, replaced by looks of terror before-

"Quick!" Sirius grabbed Remus by the arm. "We can't be spotted here!" Remus suddenly found himself being dragged down the corridor by the two boys.

"In here!" James pulled open a compartment door and ushered Sirius and Remus inside. All there though, was a small, blond boy who jumped at the sight of the three boys toppling, complete with luggage, into the small room.

"Wh-who are you?" he stammered.

"Just cover for us, okay?" Sirius said quickly.

After several seconds a smart tapping came at the door. It slid open to reveal a strict-looking woman wearing school robes, and a green badge that sported a great silver "P" in the center, along with a snake of the same color. She examined the scene, and upon seeing three boys very much out of breath, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I don't suppose any of you boys happen to know what happened in the hallway a few moments ago?"

"Did something happen?" Sirius looked to James, eyes widening unconvincingly.

"I haven't heard anything." replied James, sounding curious.

The woman remained skeptical. "Perhaps I should take you back to my compartment for the remainder of the ride." They looked horrified at the thought.

"Ma'am," said the blond boy, making them all jump. "Ma'am, they were in this compartment with me the whole time." The woman looked over at him and he seemed to quiver visibly, but all the same he kept her gaze.

Sirius looked surprised only for a moment, "That's right, we've been in here, right guys?"

"That's right!" James answered.

After a painful nudge in the ribs, Remus answered with "Right…" He tried to smile, but it looked more like a grimace after a particularly painful throb from his chest.

"Very well," she snapped and shut the door. After her footsteps had died down the corridor, James and Sirius burst out laughing again, clapping the blond boy on the back.

"Thanks, mate!" James said gratefully.

"Yeah, you really saved our hides," said Sirius, beaming at the small boy.

Remus sat in a nearby seat, stunned. What was he doing?? He'd just lied to a teacher for twotroublemakers he'd only just met! Not to mention they literally dragged him down half the length of the train before shoving him unceremoniously into someone else's compartment! He'd never experience boys like this before. In fact, he'd never really experienced children his own age. He'd been home schooled up until now and had only really experienced the company of his parents and the fictional characters from his books. Watching these boys laughing over their childish antics made him wonder if he had missed something.

"I'm Sirius."

Remus looked up, to see the black haired boy, hand outstretched. "Sirius Black." He took Sirius' outstretched hand, though somewhat half-heartedly; he was still in shock. Sirius then pointed to his companion. "James Potter." James waved in greeting, before turning to their savior.

"Who're you?"

The blonde boy looked utterly terrified at suddenly being addressed by these two. "P-P-Peter Pettigrew." He stammered shyly.

Satisfied, they all turned to look at Remus, who it seemed was intently examining his shabby, worn out sneakers. Remus could feel them all staring at him, and when he could stand it no longer, said shyly, "Err…Remus Lupin."

Before they could say anything else to him, Remus had pulled out a book, opened it to the crease, and hid behind it. If he could stay like this for the rest of the train ride, it would be all right…

But instead, the rest of the trip was filled with the four of them talking merrily. It hadn't been long before Remus' curiosity had gotten the better of him, yet again, and he had forsaken the safety of the pages to venture out into this new world. He soon found himself slipping into an almost comfortable familiarity with them.

James and Sirius may have seemed like they had been friends for ages, but in actuality, they had only met about an hour earlier at the station. Even so, today's little stunt had been pretty mild compared to some of the stuff they'd already done. Peter, who lived no where near any of them, sat opposite Sirius amazed by the amazing tales they wove. He gasped out loud at one they told involving a Muggle "Whoopee Cushion" (or whatever they were called, it was a strange name), several dung bombs and an unsuspecting passerby. "That was you? I heard about that just before I got on the train!" James and Sirius seemed to take this as praise, because they practically glowed with the pleasure of their success.

"What about you, Remus?" Sirius turned to him. "What were your school experiences?"

"Oh, I've never been." Remus replied. The boys all looked at him with shocked faces. "I was home schooled."

"Why?" Peter asked.

Remus faltered. He could hardly tell the truth.. He imagined how their faces would twist in horror as they discovered the truth about how his mother had to protect him from – no, protect others FROM him…

"Oh, my Mum," he said weakly. "She just thought she could do a better job," he forced a laugh and felt a little sick inside. Fortunately, no one seemed to notice. They merely nodded and began changing the subject. Before long, there was a knock again on their door, which slid open this time to reveal an older boy with curly sandy-blond hair. He puffed out his chest so as to further reveal the already visible red and gold "P" badge, similar to the one the woman had earlier.

"We're nearing Hogwarts," He said importantly. "Everyone needs to get their robes on." 

"Of course," they replied. The boy nodded, closing the door and heading down to the next compartment.

The four proceeded to open their trunks and gather their uniforms. Pulling the robes over his head, Remus fastened a few buttons and stowed his wand in the right pocket. Looking up, he saw something he could tell didn't happen often: Sirius annoyed.

"I don't know why you insist on doing this, James." He snapped. "You're only going to get shot down."

"I didn't ask for loving advice Sirius. I only asked if you would save me a seat on the boats." his friend retorted.

"Fine. Just be quick about it."

James ran a hand through his hair before vanishing down the corridor of the train.

"Where is he-" began Peter, but was silenced by a murderous glance from Sirius.

'If looks could kill…' thought Remus,

"It doesn't matter." Sirius said quickly. "Come on, get your things together. The train's finally stopping."

They left their re-packed trunks in the compartment and headed down the corridor.

"Only the Sorting left, I think." said Sirius, apparently eager to start a new conversation. Remus' heart sank into his shoes. He'd forgotten there was still another test coming. He started to panic, thoughts and emotions passing fast, heart beating faster. What if he wasn't sorted? What if he wasn't even allowed to attend? What if his secret was revealed, and he was shunned by everyone before he was even given a chance? The horrified faces of his new friends floated into his mind again, and he found himself so heavy he could hardly move.

"Oh, come on!" Sirius began pushing him off the train. "It's only a stupid hat, no big deal!" Though Sirius had misinterpreted his fears, Remus felt a little better knowing someone was helping him along, even if it was only the occasional shove on the back.

They exited the train, jumping on to a small, dark platform. Remus shivered in the cold night air.

"Look!" Peter hissed quietly. They looked to the direction he was pointing to see a lap bobbing up and down, a golden dot on a black canvas.

"First years!" came a woman's voice. "First years this way please!"

"Let's go." Said Sirius, and they started towards the light.  
Slipping and stumbling, the first years followed the woman down a steep, narrow path. It was pitch black, aside from the trees illuminated in a sphere of golden light from the lantern. No one spoke much, until-

You'll get your first sight of the castle in a minute." The woman shot over her shoulder, before taking a sharp turn around a bend.

Suddenly, there was a loud, "Ooooh!"

On the other side of an enormous black large, a castle sat perched on a tall mountainside. The moon was hidden behind a cloud, causing the windows to shine and sparkle in the dark light, and the many towers and turrets to draw a faintly silver outline along the sky.

This time it was Remus' turn to push a wide-eyed Sirius along.

"No more than four to a boat please!" the woman called, pointing to a fleet of tiny boats along the shore. As Remus and Peter climbed into one, Sirius remained behind.

"James!" He called. "JAMES!"

'I'm coming, I'm coming!" James emerged from the crowd, a heavy frown on his face.

Sirius only raised an eyebrow. "What'd she say to you?"

"She called me inexorable!" James said loudly. "I don't even know what that means!"

Sirius sighed. "No one does, mate, no one does." He and James climbed into the boat.

"Disobedient." said Remus from his corner of the boat.

"Hmm?"

"It means disobedient, unchangeable even by prayer." "Well what does she mean by THAT?" James asked, clearly frustrated, as the others simply stared at him like he was mad. It was going to be a long year...

**Preview of Chapter 2 - **  
_Sirius' heart skipped a beat. 'Oh, man...'_

_He began walking towards the tattered old hat, and almost involuntarily looked back at James. James was smiling, giving a silent thumbs up to him. Reassured, Sirius sat on the stool and placed the hat on his head. It fell over his eyes, for which he was very thankful. The last thing he wanted was to watch everyone staring at him. _

_'Here we go.' He thought._

_"That's the spirit!" said a voice in his head, making Sirius jump. _

_"I don't bite." said the hat casually, as though people were accustomed to having conversations with 1,000-year-old wizard hats. "Now let's see, another Black, hmm? Not surprising… But where to put you…?" The hat sounded puzzled._

_This was his chance. 'Not Slytherin,' He pleaded with the hat. 'Not Slytherin, not Slytherin, not Slytherin…'_

_"Not Slytherin, eh? But it's in your blood, boy. Slytherin is where you are meant to be!"_

_'I don't care; put me anywhere, just not Slytherin!"_

_"Very well," said the hat slowly. "If you're sure that's what you want. Then you're a…_


	2. The Sorting

**I Solemnly Swear that I am up to No Good****  
****Chapter 2: The Sorting**

As the first years walked into the Great Hall, Sirius couldn't help but feel that he were walking the Green Mile. He leant over to James and whispered, "Kill me if I get Slytherin."

"Alright," said James. "But only if you'll do the same for me if I get Hufflepuff."

"Deal."

James' face may have been calm, but Sirius could tell that his friend was nervous just by the sound of his voice, which shook slightly when he spoke. This was highly unusual for James. He was usually so confidant, even to the point of being slightly arrogant, that seeing him like this made Sirius' own butterflies ten times larger. Still, there was only one thing that could make James Potter nervous: her. He wanted to tell James to get over her, but he knew it would be a waste of breath. James was too stubborn to even think that it was never going to happen, but then again, Sirius had seen some pretty crazy things in his time so why couldn't they end up together? …Yeah right.

'Still', Sirius thought, 'if he's going to be like this every time something happens I might have to knock some sense in to him. Bloody ridiculous…'

"Now," came a woman's voice. Sirius looked up to see a strict-looking woman wearing dark green robes, her salt and pepper hair tied back in a tight bun. "I am Professor McGonagall." she continued. "When I call your name, please come up here and place the Sorting Hat on your head. Once you have been sorted, you should head to your House Table. She pointed towards four beautiful antique tables, each decorated with an elegant tablecloth colored with their House Colors: blue and silver for Ravenclaw, purple and yellow for Hufflepuff, red and yellow for Gryffindor, and green and silver for (Sirius shuddered) Slytherin. Each table had been set, and now held empty kitchenware, plates bowls, silverware, the works. The china shone brilliantly in the light let off by the enchanted ceiling of the hall, which showed the sky outside: bright stars everywhere, the occasional shooting star, and the moon, now reaching the halfway point of its nightly trek across the sky. Sirius reckoned it would be full the next evening.

McGonagall pulled out a roll of parchment that nearly reached the floor, and the first of the first years was called. 

"Alicia Abbot."

A frightened looking girl with blond hair and sky blue eyes emerged slowly from the safety of the crowd of first years and walked up to the stool. Placing the sorting hat on her head, she sat down and waited for its decision.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" The hat shouted, from what appeared to be a mouth made from a tear in it's patched, graying side. The Hufflepuff table burst into applause, as the girl nearly ran from the stool as though afraid that hat might change its mind, and sat next to another blond girl Sirius assumed was her sister. The Sorting would continue for a few minutes before he was called, so Sirius spent the time he had looking around at his class. James was to his left, desperately trying (but failing) to look calm, as though this was no big deal. Peter was behind James, practically cowering. He was sweating profusely, biting his nails, and he looked about ready to faint. He found Remus to his right, partially obscured by a group of girls that seemed about to collapse like Peter. He looked sickly and pale, as though he had recently gotten over a bad illness. What little color he had on the train had vanished, and he looked up at the hat with absolute fear in his eyes, like it was some kind of monster hell bent on making his life miserable. 'Why?' Sirius wondered. 'Was there something that would stop him from being sorted? Could it be that he's trying to avoid something?' Sirius put the thought out of his mind as he looked over the others, and much to his displeasure, found that Serverus Snape was smiling.

'Of course he's smiling!' thought Sirius angrily. 'When he gets into Slytherin he'll be surrounded by thugs and dark magic, just the way he wants.'  
Sirius frowned. 'Snivellus, you slimy git if I get into the same house as you I swear I'll –'

"Sirius Black."

Sirius' heart skipped a beat. 'Oh, man...'

He began walking towards the tattered old hat, and almost involuntarily looked back at James. James was smiling, giving a silent thumbs up to him. Reassured, Sirius sat on the stool and placed the hat on his head. It fell over his eyes, which he was very thankful for. The last thing he wanted was to watch everyone staring at him.

'Here we go.' He thought.

"That's the spirit!" said a voice in his head, making Sirius jump.

"I don't bite." said the hat casually, as though people were accustomed to having conversations with 1,000-year-old wizard hats. "Now let's see, another Black, hmm? Not surprising… But where to put you…?" The hat sounded puzzled.

This was his chance. 'Not Slytherin,' He pleaded with the hat. 'Not Slytherin, not Slytherin, not Slytherin…'

"Not Slytherin, eh? But it's in your blood, boy. Slytherin is where you are meant to be!"

'I don't care; put me anywhere, just not Slytherin!"

"Very well," said the hat slowly. "If you're sure that's what you want. Then you're a…

"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted into the hall.

A wobbly-kneed Sirius walked towards the applauding Gryffindor Table, and took a seat next to another first year. His butterflies calmed in the pit of his stomach as he heaved a sigh and relaxed, determined to enjoy the rest of the sorting.

After several minutes, Sirius perked up his ears at the sound of a familiar name.

"Remus Lupin."

Sirius looked over in Remus' direction and saw him battling his own butterflies. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in a desperate attempt to calm himself. Opening his eyes, he strode up to the hat and placed it upon his head.

"Good luck, mate." Sirius said, even though he knew Remus wouldn't hear him.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Remus walked quickly to the Table and sat next to Sirius. Sirius was surprised to se that he was smiling.

"What did it say to you?" He asked Remus quietly.

"It told me…" he paused, as if looking for the right words. "…that I shouldn't be worried."

"Worried?" repeated Sirius. "About wh-"

Sirius suddenly stopped and looked up as James strode casually up to the hat. Remus gave an almost inaudible sigh of relief at this interruption. Clearly there was something he did not want to discuss. Sirius noticed, but didn't make any conscious thoughts about it, because the hat was about to say something.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Again, the Gryffindor Table burst into thunderous applause, and James took a seat on the opposite side of the table, across from Sirius. James was beaming, with a broad smile stretching from ear to ear.

"Looks like you won't have to kill me after all." He said quickly.

"I wouldn't have done it anyway." replied Sirius, now smiling himself.

James faked a look of extreme hurt. "My own best friend wouldn't even have killed me!"

They laughed together for several seconds, only stopping when Peter's name was called. The hat seemed to take the longest with him, as though it was unsure where to place him. Sirius watched the seconds tick by on Remus' wrist watch. Eight, Nine, Ten…Finally, the hat made a decision.

"GRYFFINDOR!" Sirius was sure he heard uncertainty in its voice.  
But that hardly mattered. After all, every one of his friends was sitting around him, all in the same house.

'Now,' thought Sirius. "If I manage to get at least three classes with James…'

**Preview of Chapter 3**  
_"First of all, I would like to remind you that the forest in the grounds is off limits to students. Yes, that means you, Clark."___

_A student at the Slytherin table faked a look of being deeply hurt. ___

_"Second," Dumbledore continued. "We have a new addition to the plant life here at Hogwarts. Some of you may have noticed the new Whomping Willow in the grounds? However, I would ask that none of you go near it. Its beauty is best admired from afar."___

_"Then why is it there?" asked a Hufflepuff boy.___

_"Why wouldn't it be?" asked Dumbledore. "It's an interesting tree to study! Not to mention how creepy it looks at night." He chuckled along with the students. But Remus sank a little further. He knew why the tree was there, and what its true purpose was. And he also knew what kind of chaos would undoubtedly ensue should it ever be removed. _


	3. Of feasts, friends, and lies

**I Solemnly Swear that I am up to No Good****  
****Chapter 3: Of feasts, friends, and lies.**

With the Sorting finally over, the students had a few minutes to get situated and organize themselves. James and Sirius quietly took advantage of this, and immediately began planning something.

'Something' Remus thought, 'that will undoubtedly have disastrous results.'

"You really think that's a good idea James?" asked Sirius. Remus thought he might actually be trying to talk James out of another prank but found out (much to his disappointment) that his intentions were quite the opposite when he added, "Surely another dung bomb would work better?"

Remus frowned. "I hope you're not planning another incident like the one on the train." He said sharply.

"Relax, mate." Sirius replied. "If we do anything we'll make sure to do it far, FAR away from the teachers." Sirius' eyes were shining mischievously.

"That's not what I meant, Sirius, and you know it."

Sirius merely shrugged. "It won't be anything bad Remus, relax! What'll they do? Expel us?"

James laughed, Peter sniggered with delight, and an unfamiliar female voice said, "Not even two minutes in and you're already doing something stupid."

Remus looked towards the source of the disturbance and his amber eyes met a pair of emerald green ones. They had a stern but kind look in them and the locks of flaming red hair that hung around her shoulders brought them out even more.

James suddenly stopped laughing, and one of his hands shot to his hair, making it even messier. Sirius glared at the girl. "Shove off, Evans," he shot. "It's none of your business."

This succeeded only in making the girl angrier. "I'm not going to stand around and watch as you and Potter over there run around the school doing whatever stupid prank you think of next. It's like you think it's your purpose in life to bring chaos everywhere you go!"

Sirius remained calm. "You know, you really should calm down. Don't want to stress yourself out. Maybe you should go back to where ever it was you were sitting and breathe fire at someone who'll actually listen."

The girl glared murderously at Sirius before storming away down to the other end of the table.

"What was that ab-" began Peter, but Sirius interrupted him.

"Lily Evans." He lowered his voice so that only he, Peter, and Remus could hear. "She's the one that called James 'inexorable' earlier on. I think she's a bit nutty myself, but James fancies her even though they only met a few hours ago. I think it's a bit ridiculous: every time she says something bad about him he almost goes mental."

Sure enough, when Remus looked over at James he was staring sadly at a knife, as though he would like nothing better than to end it all rather than be put down by the girl of his dreams. Sirius spent the next few minutes trying to improve James' black mood. It seemed like he had at least partially succeeded, because when Sirius mentioned that he could impress Lily when they had their flying lessons, James smiled a bit before falling back into depression.

Suddenly, the man seated at the center of the staff table stood up. While waiting for them to quiet down, he gazed out at the students with crystal blue eyes, adjusting the half-moon spectacles that sat on his crooked nose.

"Who's that?" Remus whispered to Sirius.

"You've got to be kidding." Said Sirius, but Remus only stared back so he explained. "That's Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster."

So this was Dumbledore. This was the man who invited Remus to attend school at Hogwarts, despite what he was, despite all the rumors, despite everything. This was the man to whom Remus owed probably his life, along with every ounce of gratitude he would ever have. It was because of the invitation that Remus now had friends, something he denied himself at home, and a chance to be like everyone else. When Dumbledore spoke, his voice was soft and kind, but it still carried throughout the entire Hall.

"Good evening and welcome back to another year at Hogwarts! And to some I should simply say 'Welcome!' Now, there are a few things needing to be addressed before the start of term."

Remus sank lower in his chair. This was it. Dumbledore was going to tell everyone his secret. What happened to the confidentially he and the staff had been sworn to? But no… Dumbledore wouldn't do that… Would he?

"First of all, I would like to remind you that the forest in the grounds is off limits to students. Yes, that means you, Clark."

A student at the Slytherin table faked a look of being deeply hurt.

"Second," Dumbledore continued. "We have a new addition to the plant life here at Hogwarts. Some of you may have noticed the new Whomping Willow in the grounds? However, I would ask that none of you go near it. Its beauty is best admired from afar."

"Then why is it there?" asked a Hufflepuff boy.

"Why wouldn't it be?" asked Dumbledore. "It's an interesting tree to study! Not to mention how creepy it looks at night." He chuckled along with the students. But Remus sank a little further. He knew why the tree was there, and what its true purpose was. And he also knew what kind of chaos would undoubtedly ensue should it ever be removed.

He felt sick. And he must have looked it too, because Sirius leant over and asked, "Are you alright? You look like you're going to faint."

"I'm fine." His own voice seemed far away.

Sirius looked unconvinced but returned to consoling James when he let out a groan of despair. "Cheer up mate, she'll come around eventually. Besides, if you're in the same house she can't avoid you forever…"

Dumbledore seemed to sense the restless attitude of his students. "Now, before I have a riot on my hands…" He waved his hands across the hall, and Remus laughed as he watched Sirius' jaw drop. But for good reason: the dishes were no longer empty. In fact, they were piled high with fantastic entrées. Roast beef, chicken, sprouts, potatoes, carrots, and peas. And that was only the beginning! There were beautifully frosted cakes, puddings, and deserts none of them had ever seen, with drinks of all kinds, colors, and flavors.

He still felt sick, so Remus did not rush forward like the others did. But this was apparently the last straw for Sirius.

"Eat something."

"I'm not hungry, alright?" Remus replied.

"Nonsense, you look half dead! If you don't eat something you probably won't last the night!" He began piling food onto Remus' plate. Remus' jaw dropped in horror at the still-growing pile, knowing he would be expected to eat everything. But Sirius only took advantage of this, and before he could react, his friend was shoving mashed potatoes into his mouth.

The others laughed as Remus choked, but Sirius remained firm. "You don't eat enough, alright?" he said stubbornly, and began filling his own plate (with twice the amount he had given Remus). Remus gingerly picked up his fork and evaluated the immense task before him

xXx

* * *

xXx

"Gryffindor First Years this way please!"

The young Gryffindors followed the Prefects out of the Great Hall and into the castle. It was an impossible maze of stone walls and torches, left, right, right again, straight… They reached the base of a winding staircase, and the Prefect from the train puffed out his chest again and gave them a warning to heed:

"Keep an eye on the stairs please, they like to change." he said before beginning what was sure to be an exhausting climb.

"Change?" the boys said together. Lo and behold, when they looked up three flights of the stairs had begun rearranging themselves in random patterns. Remus continued to gaze upward as he climbed, mesmerized by the height and beauty of the tower, which seemed to go on forever.

"Welcome to Hogwarts!"

The students searched for the source of the disembodied voice, finding only the portraits lining the walls. But… there was something strange about them. Peter began staring suspiciously at one of a large brown-haired man, when suddenly he gave a yelp of surprise.

"Why the devil are you staring at me, boy?" the man asked, whiskers of his moustache waving furiously a he did so.

Peter looked as though he might faint. "Oh, err….sorry!" he said quickly.

"Now, now, don't be so rude, Thomas!" another painting, this time of a tall, thin woman, came to Peter's rescue.

"But Angela, this boy!" said Thomas, pointing accusingly at Peter with one of his sausage-like fingers.

"But nothing!" she said, and to everyone's amazement left her own portrait and entered Mr. Thomas'. "The students don't come to Hogwarts to be bullied by portraits!"

They're argument continued, and so did the Prefects. "Let's go everyone!" they called as they started climbing the stairs again. None of the other portraits said much other than the occasional greeting. It was clear they had done this many times, and must have gotten tired of it.

'Do paintings get tired?' Remus wondered. He found the answer when they finally reached the top of the tower and stopped in front of the portrait of a rather large woman in a pink, frilly gown. She was snoring loudly. The Prefect's tone was mild as he tried to wake her.

"Excuse me, Fat Lady? Hello, wake up!" Although he did succeed in waking her, she looked terribly tired and in danger of dozing off again.

"P-P-Password?" she yawned.

"Phoenix Feather." said the other Prefect, a black-haired young woman who, unlike her companion, made no effort to make her status overly known.

The Fat Lady nodded and her portrait swung forward, revealing the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. As the students began filing inside, Sirius and James had already begun to make jokes.

"Probably be the ugliest furniture ever!" they laughed, but it was astonishing that they could be so relaxed after their ordeal with the Hat! The four climbed into the tower, and to Remus' dismay, they had been correct about the furniture. They had entered a round, red room filled with squashy armchairs and couches that looked as though they were in need of a good cleaning.

"We told you so." Sirius said smirking.

"Shut up, Sirius." Remus snapped, although he really hadn't meant to.

"Geese, what's gotten into you?" Sirius sounded surprised.

"Nothing." he replied quickly. There was a short pause before- "I think I'll head up to bed now."

Remus mad to leave, but Sirius stopped him. "Why? It's not even 10 o'clock yet."

"If you must know, one of my relatives is sick. My family and I have scheduled to visit her tomorrow at St. Mungo's, and it takes a while to get there the Muggle way so I always go to bed early before hand."

Sirius seemed satisfied, and let Remus pass him. Making his way to the boy's dormitories, he wasn't sure whether to feel good or bad. He'd just lied to his friends after all. But being blessed with their company only served to remind him of why it was absolutely necessary to do so. His trunk had been brought from the train, so he slipped into his pajamas and climbed into his four poster bed comfortable in the knowledge that his lie had worked. For now…

**Preview of Chapter 4**

_Dear Mother, __  
__Thank you for those kind words. Unfortunately, your "Noble House of Black" will have to join the Dark wizards without me. Don't worry though, since I've made it into Gryffindor, the best of the four houses, I'll have plenty of time to socialize with all the half breeds and mud bloods you like so much. And as for my education, Dumbledore is one of the greatest wizards out there, and I'm sure you will come to respect him in due time._

_Hoping to never hear from you again, __  
__Sirius._


	4. The Start of Term

**I Solemnly Swear that I am up to No Good.  
Chapter 4: The Start of Term**

* * *

Sirius awoke with a start. A good thing, too: his mother screaming at him again wasn't exactly a good dream. But she always did that, so it was no surprise that he was forced think about her when even he was miles away.

"Oh, God…" he yawned, scratching his head and further rumpling his black hair. He pulled back the ruby curtains of his four-poster and took in the scene: Peter had fallen out of his bed, and now lay on the floor entangled in a mass of sheets. From behind his curtains James gave a loud snort. Another boy was mumbling something in his sleep, to low to make anything out. But Sirius really didn't care about any of that. He'd just noticed something… One of their number was missing.

_'Where'd he wander off to?'_ Sirius wondered. _'He told us he wasn't leaving until later.'_

Pulling on his uniform, which now sported a red and gold Gryffindor badge, he checked the clock and let out a groan. 6:45… His mother, it seemed, would never let him sleep in. He tied the laces of his sneakers and then combed his hair as someone else gave another loud snort in their sleep. James obviously wasn't getting up any time soon, so it would be in his best interests, Sirius reasoned, to just lounge around in the Common Room until someone else woke up. He pulled his school bag over his shoulder and headed down for what was sure to be a long and boring wait. Already becoming impatient and having nothing better to do, he jumped the last few stairs trying to make as much noise as possible. He didn't disturb quite who he had hoped.

"You do realize people are still sleeping?" Remus said from the sofa. Once again, he had had his nose in a book, and apparently for some time, too.

Sirius merely shrugged, throwing himself into an armchair beside the fireplace. "How long've you been up?" he asked, noticing only now that his friend had already prepared his school bag.

"Not long," Remus replied. "I think it was about 6-ish."

"Why so early?" Sirius could not stop himself from asking the question, however silly it felt to do so when he himself awoken before everyone else.

"I've never found it easy to sleep before visiting someone ill." he said in a "that's the end of it" sort of tone.

But Sirius persisted. His curiosity was getting the better of him, and he could hardly contain the questions. "You do this a lot?"

"Unfortunately," He sounded bitter, and must have noticed it too, because he smiled, adding, "Well, more than I would like anyway. It's not the most pleasant of experiences."

"I can imagine," said Sirius, though this was completely untrue. Being a "disgrace to the once proud Black family," he had never been able to get out much. If he wasn't locked inside his bedroom, his time was rapidly consumed by work. The only people he had ever seen ill were his immediate family: his mother and father, or his younger brother Regulus.

Silence followed his words, only broken by the occasional sound of paper as Remus resumed flipping through the pages of his book. Sirius soon became tired of this; he had never been one to sit still for long. It was not that he couldn't, this was merely another of his habits. Silence in his home usually meant something (most likely a bad something) was about to take place. To keep himself occupied, he began fingering a loose thread on his armchair, pulling and twisting the crimson fabric into various shapes until his mind began to wander…

xXx

"Wha…?"

"Breakfast should have started by now." Remus stood over him, checking the time on his watch. "Are you coming or not?"

Wha - Oh, yeah." Sirius said stupidly, his mind returning to him. He stood up, and slinging his bag over his shoulder exited the Common Room behind his friend. The two of them began trying to retrace their steps from the night before, hoping there would be a familiar object to remind them of the way they had come.

"This school is huge, how do they expect anyone to find their way around?" Sirius wondered aloud.

"Well, I imagine the portraits would help somewhat." replied Remus, who had just noticed the portraits of Angela and Thomas a few flights down on the staircase and headed in their general direction.

"Yeah, I suppose…" Sirius felt his curiosity welling up again, begging and pleading with him to ask this one question, however rude it might be to do so. He tried hard to resist, but when were 11-year-olds ever known for their self-control? He submitted to himself, asking suddenly, "So what's this relative of yours got anyway?"

This time Remus didn't seem so prepared. "It's my mother," he began - strongly at first - but his voice started wavering as he went on. "She's got… er… I don't know exactly… all they told us was that there was no cure."

"Oh," said Sirius, realizing now that he should not have asked. "Sorry for asking."

"Why did you?" Remus was trying to sound casual, but it was painfully obvious that this was of great importance to him.

"I er… just wanted to see if there was anything I could do…" he lied, when really, he had had no such intentions. Sirius hated lying, especially to a friend, but was better than explaining he'd asked only out of simple curiosity.

"Thanks, but there's nothing anyone can do..."

They finally arrived at the Great Hall, and because it was early yet, they had free range of their Table. They chose to sit across from one another, on the side closest to the door. That way, when Peter or James came down, they wouldn't have to search through a crowd of people. Sirius took a stack of toast from a nearby tray as his silver eyes looked up at the Enchanted Ceiling. So far so good: the sky was a pale blue, though a bit hazy. There wasn't a cloud in sight, and Sirius became a bit more cheerful knowing everything was off to a good start.

The other students had begun to arrive now, and Sirius began searching through the small groups of people for the others. Sure enough, he spotted James within minutes, Peter following in his wake. James yawned heavily as he sat down next to his best friend, poring himself a glass of juice.

"You look like a zombie." Sirius pointed out, noticing the dark circles under James' eyes.

"Thanks, Mr. Point-out-the-obvious-a-lot." said James dryly. "I hadn't noticed…. So you really couldn't hear him?"

"Hear who? I didn't hear a thing all night."

"Him!" James pointed furiously at Peter, who became suddenly stiff as though frozen in place by the intensity of James' icy stare. "He's the loudest sleeper alive!"

"I said I was sorry!" squeaked Peter, apparently able to move just enough to defend himself.

James said nothing, so Peter began glancing nervously at everyone as he finally took a seat next to Remus. But the silence did not last long. Mere minutes after Peter's apology, somewhere, a first year girl began screaming.

"Look, look!" She called wildly. "Owls!"

Sirius looked where she was pointing: a small square window placed high above the door from which hundreds of owls were now poring through, all carrying mail for the students. He had expected a quiet morning, so Sirius looked with surprise at the pitch black owl now flying towards him, carrying a small red envelope. The owl dropped the letter in front of him without stopping and hurried back out the small window from which he had come. With a jolt of horror, Sirius saw that the corners of the envelope had begun to smoke.

"That's a…" he began.

"Howler." The others finished.

"Open it." James advised. "If you open it, it won't be nearly as bad!"

Sirius nodded grimly, and hands trembling, peeled back the seal of the envelope. Instantly, a shrill, harsh female voice rang through the hall.

"SIRIUS BLACK!" she shrieked. "HOW DARE YOU?! RUNNING THE BLACK NAME INTO THE GROUND! EVERY MEMBER OF THIS FAMILY BEFORE YOU HAS BEEN IN SLYTHERIN, THE ONLY RESPECTABLE HOUSE! BUT YOU! YOU CONSTANTLY FEEL THE NEED TO CAUSE UNDUE TROUBLE AND FORSAKE YOUR HERITAGE! YOU ARE PUREBLOOD, AND I WILL NOT HAVE YOU RUNNING AMOCK WITH WHATEVER HALFBREEDS AND MUDBLOOD FILTH THAT CRACKPOT DUMBLEDORE HAS LET INTO THAT SCHOOL! REMEMBER WHERE YOU COME FROM, SIRIUS, OR I'LL SHOW YOU."

The previously noise Hall had become totally silent, allowing his mother's voice to echo along the walls.

_Remember where you come from, Sirius, or I'll show you!_

Sirius covered his face in his hands, seething with anger at his mother. She was unbelievable. Absolutely evil. 'That vial, wicked, wretched old HAG!' Sirius imagined his mother sitting before him and wrung his hands around her snake-like neck before gathering up his quill, tossing it in ink, and allowing his hand to fly over a piece of parchment:

_Dear Mother,  
Thank you for those kind words. Unfortunately, your "Noble House of Black" will have to join the Dark wizards without me. Don't worry though, since I've made it into Gryffindor, the best of the four houses, I'll have plenty of time to socialize with all the half breeds and mud bloods you like so much. And as for my education, Dumbledore is one of the greatest wizards out there, and I'm sure you will come to respect him in due time._

_Hoping to never hear from you again,_

_  
Sirius._

He had written so furiously, the paper had been torn and scratched in several places, and some of the ink had been smudged. Sirius didn't care; he could only smile at the thought of how his mother would react upon reading his letter. Surely her heart would stop, if she had one…

By now the Hall had returned nearly to normal, and aside from the laughs and jeering of a few Slytherins, it would have appeared that the incident had been all but forgotten. Not wanting another "moment", the teachers thought it best to begin passing out schedules. Sirius' mood only worsened as he saw a severe-looking Professor with emerald green robes, and her salt-and-pepper hair pulled back onto a tight bun. She reminded Sirius of a hawk, her keen eyes careful to spot any wrong doings. He half expected her to mention his mother's letter, but she turned instead to Remus.

"You must be Mr. Lupin?" she asked kindly.

Remus either could not, or would not look at her. "Yes." He continued to stare at his shoes as she handed him his schedule.

"I see… I'm Professor McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor. Er… When will you be leaving tonight?"

"Around six," he mumbled, still refusing to meet her gaze.

She smiled understandingly; something which Sirius was amazed to see made her icy exterior melt faster than an ice cube in the desert. "Very well," she said. "Don't worry; I'm sure everything will be fine." She cast a venomous glance at the Slytherin table, where two 5th years were imitating the low, throbbing cry of an Augurey, before returning to handing out the schedules.

"What was that about?" James had asked what Sirius was thinking.

"Didn't I tell you I was leaving this afternoon?" Remus replied.

"Oh, right."

That conversation was clearly over, so -

"So what classes have we got together?" asked Sirius suddenly, curious to see how he would spend his first year. He was tempted to cross his fingers for good luck, hoping desperately that there was something on those tiny pieces of parchment that would improve his dark mood.

"Well, let's see…" James took each of their schedules and placed them beside his own. "We've all got Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, and History of Magic together. Sirius, you and Remus have Astronomy on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Peter and I've got it Wednesdays and Fridays but that class doesn't start until next week, the three of you have Herbology together, and it doesn't say, but I think all first years have flying lessons on Thursdays."

"Cool," Sirius said, his heart lifting a little. "Means for the most part we won't have to be alone in a class. Where do we go first?"

"Transfiguration."

"Alright, let's go!"

The four of them quickly gathered their bags and headed out of the Hall in search of their first class. They didn't know their surroundings yet, so to them, Hogwarts was an unimaginable maze of stone. After all, there were over 100 staircases. They quickly discovered the castle was not as simple a maze as they had previously thought. Most of the doors were normal, but occasionally you would run into a few that were odd to say the least. There were doors that refused to open unless you asked politely, or unless you solved a riddle or answered a question. It seemed the whole building was against them when they found a stone wall pretending to be a door. And worse, it was impossible to remember where anything was when it moved! The people in the portraits were constantly visiting each other, and even the stairs outside of the tower would change, regardless of who – or what – was walking on them.

The Ghosts didn't help much either. Sirius thought he might die of shock after one of them accidentally walked through him, sending icy chills down his spine. The Gryffindor ghost Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, or Nearly Headless Nick as he was called by the students, had pointed them in the right direction when they had found him trying to join the Headless Hunt. However, this lead to a brief run in with Peeves the Poltergeist, and they were forced down a trick staircase somehow winding up inside a locked room on the fourth floor.

Sirius thanked whatever had caused them to leave early. "It should never… be this hard to…. find a… stupid classroom." he panted as they finally reached the Transfiguration class. With a pang, he had realized they only had four minutes to the start of class. The four seated themselves in a row near the back just as Professor McGonagall began.

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will study at Hogwarts." she began sternly. "Anyone goofing off in my class will be sent away, and they will _not_ return. You have been warned."

At this, she proceeded to transform her desk into a large goat. Sirius watched in awe as it walked around the classroom. It really was a goat! It had even begun to eat a scrap of parchment that had been lying on the floor! The Professor coaxed it back into the proper position, and with a slight flick of her wand, a desk stood in place of the animal. Sirius smiled maliciously as he imagined himself turning a Slytherin into some kind of small animal, nearly crying with laughter from the image, but it was soon clear that that was not going to happen any time soon. After taking several pages of complex notes, McGonagall gave each of them a match and instructed them to turn it into a needle. At the end of the lesson, the only ones to have many any significant changes were Remus and a Ravenclaw girl, who managed to make them a few centimeters longer. After awarding the victorious with 10 house points each, she set their homework assignment of practicing over night, and finally dismissed the class. There was a lot more to magic, Sirius learned, than flicking a wand and saying a few funny words. The rest of the day was spent in classes much like McGonagall's. All Sirius had to show for his efforts was a large pile of homework in need of completion.

After a large supper, Sirius returned to the Common Room to find several students getting a head start on their work. Remus sat at a table in the corner, finishing a brief paper titled, "Wand Safety: The Proper Use of a Wand." He looked worse than he had at the sorting.

"You alright?" Sirius asked, and not for the first time. "You look like you're going to puke."

"I'm fine."

"No, seriously. You should –"

"Sirius, please." he said, his voice uncharacteristically harsh. "I have to finish this before I leave."

"You can't just take it with you?" Sirius was confused. What could possibly interfere with something as trivial as schoolwork?

"I- No. I can't."

"But why?"

"Just stop asking so many questions!"

Sirius took a step back. Remus had risen from his chair, which had fallen backwards from the force with a soft thud. Sirius could sense people watching.

"Remus, I –"

"I have to go." And without another word, Remus headed over to the exit, leaving his work scattered on the table and Sirius chained under the inescapable gaze of the other students.

**Preview of Chapter 5**

_"You don't know what you're refusing, Lupin!" shouted a tall, unkempt looking man in the doorway. "You're giving up a great opportunity to –"_

___"Oh, believe me, I do, Greyback." his father shouted back. "You want us to give up everything and go serve this crackpot Volde-whatsits-"_

___"How dare you insult the greatest wizard who will ever live! You filthy blood traitor!" He spat on the ground at his feet._

___"I'd advise you to leave." said his father warningly. "I don't want to make you." He put his hand into on of his pockets._

___Greyback looked murderous. "You little –" The man went to grab his own wand, but Mr. Lupin was faster. Raising his wand he yelled, "Stupefy!" Greyback was blasted off his feet and landed hard on his back._

___Cursing loudly, he got to his feet and pulled out his own want. "You're going to regret that." He growled through fang-like teeth._


	5. There's this cat

**_I Solemnly Swear that I am up to No Good_**_**  
**_**_Chapter 5: There's this cat…._**

Only the echoes of his footsteps followed Remus as he descended the spiral staircase. Rage had infected his mind, killing all rational thoughts like a disease. It filled his veins, and all he could think of was getting away from the Tower. He didn't care that he had made a scene, didn't care that he had walked out on Sirius, and he certainly didn't care about the consequences or repercussions of what he had done. But suddenly, he stopped. This wasn't like him... Only when he thought back on the incident did he realize that he had not really been angry with Sirius; he had instead been fleeing his questions. Angry with himself now, he continued down the stairs until he finally reached the Entrance Hall. This was to be the first of many trips of its kind he would have to take, neither any better than the last.

The school Healer, Madam Poppy Pomfrey, had been waiting for him near the entrance. She nodded in greeting, before moving towards the doors.

"Ready?" she asked her tone mirthless, deathly soft.

He nodded in grim confirmation, following her out into the darkened grounds. The frost-covered grass crunched beneath his shoes, and his breath fogged in the cool pre-autumn air. Darkness fell rapidly as they trekked down the sloping grounds. Soon the trees of the Forbidden Forest began to cast sinister shadows, causing the once charming, benign forest to appear malevolent and dangerous.

Their destination was no less ominous. The Whomping Willow, though still very much a sapling, sat perched on a small hill with its boughs held firmly upright, ready to attack any unwary passersby. Its trunk was clean, and otherwise unblemished except for a small knot, located on one of its massive roots. One would never be able to tell just by looking at the tree that there was a secret, undocumented tunnel running below it, whose existence was known only to select few. The true purpose of the Willow was not to be an educational recourse as Professor Dumbledore had told the students, but rather to guard the tunnel and, if necessary, to protect the castle residents.

There was only one way to enter the tunnel safely. Remus had been told that theoretically, the tree could be deterred by the Immobulous Charm, but he had never been taught to use it. Indeed, the only way to stun the tree was carefully disguised as just another feature: the knot. Picking up a fallen branch from a nearby pine tree, Madam Pomfrey inched her way towards the Willow, careful not to give it any reason to attack. Once she was close enough, she began to prod the knot. The tree gave a small shudder before becoming still as stone, and not a leaf or twig stirred.

She had no other purpose for staying, and so she turned to him saying "I'll return for you in the morning," She began making her way back to the castle.

Remus now turned his attention to the tunnel. Now that the Willow had been frozen, it was clearly visible. It was smaller than he had expected, and he had to bend over nearly double just to pass through it. For a simple earthen tunnel, it was rather long, and well-preserved. The only sign that time had passed since its construction were the tiny roots of the Willow and the surrounding forest. In the darkness, he had to almost feel his way around in order to avoid tripping over them. They dangled from the dirt ceiling as well, tickling his cheeks and brushing through his hair like cobwebs. By now it was too dark to tell how far he had gone without any markings of signs, but he guessed it was a fair distance, maybe a half a mile.

But suddenly, the tunnel began to rise, and twist. Coming around the turn Remus could see a beam of light shining through a small opening. Pulling himself up and out of the hole, he took a look at his surroundings. It was a small room, with furniture, complete with tables and chairs. There were a few windows, some with their shades drawn, others left partially opened. A think layer of dust covered everything; it looked as though the place had been hastily abandoned. But then, it was suppose to look like that. In truth, it had been build recently, some time during the summer. To the left, there was a set of stairs that led farther in, perhaps even to the second floor, but Remus decided not to go any further. Throwing himself into a dusty armchair, all he could do now was think wait for the inevitable…

At first, the only thoughts that crossed is mind were of school. Did he have any incomplete homework? Was there something he had been supposed to do? He's been to angry with Sirius and his friends before leaving to—His friends. Would they forgive him for the way he had treated Sirius? And what would he tell them in the morning about where he had gone? He'd never thought about that before, and all sorts of fantastic explanations began to make their way to the forefront of his mind. Usually, his parents would have been the ones to say something, but he was on his own now. 

'Maybe that's good for them though...' he thought slowly. He hated how his parents lives had become nearly as isolated as his own. When he was younger, he would sometimes hear them arguing over him. His mother, a muggle, had the hardest time coping with things. But even when his parents were together, he knew they were trying as hard as they could to make life as normal as possible. He could see the strain in their eyes, no matter if they were smiling or not. The day he received his Hogwarts letter was the one day when it wasn't so evident, the day their efforts seemed to pay off.

The sun had finally vanished beyond the horizon, leaving the visible sky a dark hue of purple, and the dusty room slowly filled with darkness. In that gloomy, sad room all he could do was wait for the inevitable….

xXx

_As he walked down the hallway, the yelling grew louder. Remus had left the safety of his bedroom to investigate more, and it seemed he was getting close. He climbed down the staircase, ignoring the family photographs that hung on the walls, and doing his best to avoid the ones that creaked when stepped on. It didn't seem like a good time to be noticed. He emerged into the living room, a small area with 3 chairs, a coffee table, and a television that sat in the corner opposite the front door. He crept silently behind his favorite chair, a blue recliner that for now was taller than he was, and held his breath as the scene unfolded before him.___

_"You don't know what you're refusing, Lupin!" shouted a tall, unkempt looking man in the doorway. "You're giving up a great opportunity to –"___

_"Oh, believe me, I do, Grayback." his father shouted back. "You want us to give up everything and go serve this crackpot Volde-whatsits-"___

_"How dare you insult the greatest wizard who will ever live! You filthy blood traitor!" He spat on the ground at his feet. ___

_"I'd advise you to leave." said his father warningly. "I don't want to make you." He put his hand into on of his pockets.___

_Grayback looked murderous. "You little –" The man went to grap his own want, but Mr. Lupin was faster. Raising his wand he yelled, "Stupefy!" Grayback was blasted off his feet and landed hard on his back.___

_Cursing loudly, he got to his feet and pulled out his own want. "You're going to regret that." He growled through fang-like teeth.___

_Father! This was too much. This man, who ever he was, was going to hurt his father, he had to do something! Forsaking the protection of the chair, he rushed over to his father's side, not caring about anything else.___

_"Remus!" his father looked terrified. "What are you doing, get out of-"___

_"You have a child." Grayback laughed coldly. "You will regret this meeting, Mr. Lupin. You're son will see to that." Without another word, he turned and was lost to the darkness. Remus suddenly found himself being dragged back into the living room.___

_"Father, I-" he began, but was cut off. ___

_"Remus, if you ever see that man again I want you to stay as far away form him as you can. Do you understand?"___

_"Father-"___

_"Do you understand?" He knelt so that he was eye-to-eye with his son. He was serious.___

_Remus nodded quickly, but he didn't really. What did he have to do with all this? What could possibly make that man so dangerous? He obviously was though: Remus had never seen his father so upset.___

_"Good." His father seemed to visibly relax. Standing up again, he smiled. "Now, go back to bed. You shouldn't have to worry about this again."__  
_

Lying on the stiff boards of the house, Remus awoke in a cold sweat. He was trembling all over, partially from fear, partially from the shock. His whole body ached, and he could hardly move for the pain, but the worst part of that night was over.

"Just a dream…"

No, a memory. The cause of everything his family now had to go to, and all because he had disobeyed his father. He's gone wandering instead of going to bed, and as a consequence was bitten by a werewolf. He hadn't found out until recently that the werewolf in question had been that man, Grayback. Remus tried for a while to forgive him, but the guilt he felt for his disobedience and what it had caused was something he would no doubt carry to the grave, a permanent scar. He remembered the looks in his parent's eyes when it was confirmed that he had been infected and for a second, the thought of never getting up again passed through his mind…

A sudden sharp pain only served to remind him that he couldn't though, whatever he may want. He'd been unconscious on the floor for quite some time, judging by the amount of sunlight coming in from the windows. He couldn't sit here forever, but he knew he wouldn't be able to get up without some help. He pulled himself over to the chair he'd sat in - and realized with a jolt that large chunks of it had been torn out and one if its legs almost completely removed.

He straightened up on what was left of it, and ignoring the objections from his limbs made his way back through the tunnel and out to the castle. He'd been lucky this time. Only 3 months ago he had been bedridden for days because of his injuries, which this time were relatively small by comparison. It seemed the house had taken most of the damage.

Still, only Madam Pomfrey would be able to let him return to his school work. She would have the final say in all matters of this kind for the rest of his time at Hogwarts. He sincerely wanted to return to class, but he couldn't help but wonder what the students would say if he showed up in the middle of a class battered and bruised. He racked his mind for a few good explanations before reaching the exit.

Just a she had promised she would, Madam Pomfrey was there waiting for him. She was sitting nearby, sort of looking around the grounds, her lips pursed. Clearly she'd been waiting for a while. A sharp intake of breath made her look up in time to see him wince as his ribs sent a wave of pain through his torso. Rushing over, she immediately began to examine him for anything serious.

Remus tried lightening the mood as best he could.

"I'll have to repair these." He said, forcing a laugh as he examined his now tattered and ruined robes.

"It's no laughing matter." Madam Pomfrey scoffed. Cupping his chin in a hand, she began to inspect a large cut on his cheek. Rolling up his sleeves, she say another large cut along his left forearm, caked with dry blood. That and a few sprains seemed to be the worst of it, aside from the less notable but more numerous cuts, bruises, and scratches. He wished more than anything to be invisible.

_He really had been lucky…. _

xXx

"What happened to you?" Sirius mouthed from across the classroom as McGonagall continued her lessons up front. Remus ignored him, but the shocked looks upon his three friends faces meant he hadn't heard the last of it. Madam Pomfrey had taken care of his more serious injuries, and after insisting he had to return to class, he had changed into his uniform, grabbed his bag and rushed strait to class. Half of his mind now wished he had stayed in the hospital wing.

A few students continued to glance back at him occasionally, and he sunk as low as he could into his chair. He tried to focus on his notes; he'd need them for a test coming the following Monday. But try as he might, the only thing he could think of was what he needed to do next. He wasn't looking forward to returning to Gryffindor Tower that night.

The day inched by slowly, morning turning into afternoon in the amount of time it seemed to take a dozen hours to pass. He received the same reaction in every class he went to that day: students staring, asking questions, the teachers remaining firmly silent. It was, for the most part, what he had expected to happen since he first boarded the Hogwarts Express. But expecting it didn't make it any less difficult. Still, he'd need to get used to this. It was like he had thought hours ago in that dusty shack: He was alone.

Gryffindor Common room was loud and bustling, the usual after classes were over. A fire roared happily in the fireplace, and no one said anything about his sudden reappearance. And yet, there was a certain awkwardness in the air he couldn't help but notice as he maneuvered around the splooshy armchairs, avoiding the many side glances. It felt like he was on the center stage of an act gone horribly wrong, and he wanted to get off as soon as it was possible before things got worse.

He tried to stay out of sight as much as possible, navigating the maze of furniture and bodies until he reached the staircase of the boy's dormitories. All was quiet as he opened the door, and so he walked over to his four-poster, tossed his bag aside and collapsed into the mound of sheets. He'd been more exhausted than he thought...

In the darkness he could make out three other figures in the room.

"So…" said Sirius, lighting a nearby torch and flooding the room with a soft orange glow.

"So what?" He knew it was a stupid way to respond, but he wanted them to ask the questions. Sitting up, he quickly rattled off a few of his better explanations in his mind.

"What the hell happened to you?"

Sirius apparently didn't hesitate to bring up the worst questions.

James and Peter were silent. He knew they were listening intently for whatever fantastic story he had to tell. 

"Well?" Sirius urged when he did not respond.

"Okay, okay." He took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself before diving in. "Remember when I said I was going to visit one of my relatives?"

They nodded in unison.

"You did, didn't you?" asked James, leaning forward.

"Yes and another relative of mine – my aunt Bethanie – She came with us this time. And well… There's this cat. It belongs to her, and I swear, I think it's out to get me."

He paused, the realization of just how that must have sounded started to set in.

"A cat." Sirius repeated.

_I spent all night thinking of explanations and this is what I came up with?!_

"You're telling us a cat did this to you?"

"Er… yes?" It had been a question. Luckily no one answered it.

Silence followed, and each moment was painfully prolonged, until it was so intense that Remus could hear his own heart beating. Would they buy it? After all, it was a completely ridiculous excuse, but it was the first one that came to mind. He was so desperate, he'd just blurted it out without thinking.

"It must really hate you." said James smiling, but he didn't look completely convinced. None of them did.

A few days later, the whole thing had been almost completely forgotten, and life returned slowly to normal. At breakfast, the students were talking as if nothing had happened, and for a minute it was almost as if things would continue as normally as they had been. But only for a minute.

"Guys!" shouted Sirius, running straight through the Hall to where they sat at the Gryffindor Table. "Come with me, quick! I've got something to show you!"

**Preview of Chapter 6**  
_  
__Sirius led them through the darkened corridors and up to the third floor, where, hung carelessly on the wall, was the painting of a beautiful snowy owl. It's large yellow eyes quickly fixed upon the four first years, and it let out a small "Hoot" of warning. ___

_Now they could see why. The painting was there for a reason: there was some kind of door behind it._


	6. Discovery

_**I Solemnly Swear that I am Up to No Good**_  
_Chapter 6__ - Discovery_

"What is it?" asked James, jumping up from his seat, apparently quite eager to leave another uneventful breakfast.

"I... dunno..." Sirius panted, desperately trying to catch his breath. He hadn't stopped for anything on his way to come and find them, and as a painful stitch began to make its presence known he grasped his sides, wishing that he had.

Even though Sirius' response had been poor, James' face lit up with curiosity. James had a certain love of the unknown, a kind of stubbornness that made it impossible for him to refuse this kind of opportunity for an adventure.

"Where?" asked Peter jumping up as James had, but accidentally knocking over his bag and spilling it's contents across the floor.

"A few floors up." said Sirius quickly, knowing full well that they wanted in on the secret. It was written all over their faces. "We should go now, before class!"

"Sirius, that's in 10 minutes." said Remus, in a tone that said he didn't think it was the best of ideas. He made to help Peter gather his things. "I don't think we'll have enough time."

"Not if we leave right now," Sirius pleaded. "Please? It won't take long, I swear."

Remus rolled his eyes. "Alright," he sighed. "Let's go."

Sirius led them out of the noisy hall and up through the fire-lit corridors, passing student and ghost alike without a word or side glance. His focus was on his destination, and the sooner they got there, the better. The portraits watched them in silence as they made their way through the stone maze and up to the third floor, a few of the occupants choosing to leave their frames and follow the four youngsters as far as they could to as they sought whatever thrill they thought they were going to get in a school.

Passing the statue of an old humpbacked witch, they came to an intersection between halls. Sirius rounded the corner and suddenly stopped, putting out an arm to stop the others. He put his right hand to his ear in search of an all too familiar sound, and he soon found it: footsteps.

"Get out of sight!" he hissed at the others, pushing them back into their hall.

"What is it?" James whispered.

"Ouch! That was my foot!" came Remus' voice.

"Sorry, I can't see!" Peter squeaked.

"SHH!!" The footsteps were getting closer; they were nearly on top of them.

"Wait a minute, why-" Peter began, but Sirius put a hand over Peter's mouth to quiet him. The four of them crouched down behind a nearby suit of armor and hoped they wouldn't be spotted as the footsteps got closer, followed by the echo of voices. Lily Evans came into view, accompanied by a first year Slytherin boy with chin-length black hair and equally dark eyes.

"...and I thought it was cute, but obviously Mary had other ideas." Lily was saying to him.

"I'm not sure cute is the right word for it." Snape said seriously.

"What?"

"Well, you're a pretty good artist. A lot of the things you draw are pretty good."

As the two passed out of view, Sirius saw Lily smile at Snape. From behind him, he heard James shift uncomfortably, muttering something too faint to make out. He couldn't tell if it was about the pair or just to himself. Sirius waited until the corridor was silent once more before a muffled squeal reminded him to let go of Peter and stand up. He checked the area for people and, finding none, beckoned the others to continue.

After another flight of stairs, they came to a stop on the fourth floor beside a group of benches lining the hall, where, hung carelessly on the wall behind one of them was the painting of a beautiful snowy owl. Its large yellow eyes quickly fixed upon the four first years, and it let out a small "hoot" as it shifted uncomfortably on a branch. The other paintings in the area were all unoccupied but for a petite, hawk-like woman who sat snoozing in her chair.

"So..." James said awkwardly, "is there anything in particular you wanted to show us? I mean, the owl is nice and all, but... "

"Actually, yes." Sirius said, glaring at his friend. He motioned toward an area directly to the left of the owl's painting. It was an old mirror, dusty and scratched in several places but otherwise in good care. The section of wall was all but out of place at first glance but, guided by Sirius, the three discovered the true significance of this spot: behind the mirror was a carefully disguised door. It was barely recognizable amidst the rest of the wall, but upon closer inspection, a small, unnatural joint in the stone gave it all away.

Sirius stepped up on the nearest bench, moved the mirror to the side and placed a hand on the door. It had a brighter, more brilliant color than the rest of the surrounding wall, in the perfect shape of the mirror but for a small hand hold near the bottom right corner. It was cooler than the rest of the wall, too, as though air was coming in from outside the castle. Although it was quite old, the door swung open silently as Sirius pulled on the handle, revealing a perfectly square stone tunnel that large enough for an adult to properly stand inside. Without any torches, it was pitch dark, and the cold, dense air made his breath fog.

But at that moment, the bell for third period rang, shattering their enthusiasm with its unwelcome noise. The group let out a groan of disappointment as Sirius stepped back, closing the door to adventure. His mind raced for a reasonable thing to say, but Sirius knew he wouldn't be able to come up with a good enough excuse for being late. No sane teacher would accept anything like "I was just exploring a secret tunnel, sorry!" Regretfully, he returned the mirror to its original position, and followed the others to class...

xXx

So you're going back to that tunnel with me, right?

Sirius looked over the note one last time before tapping his wand to the page and watched the letters vanish. Sending enchanted notes was one of the first pieces of magic he ever learned. He and Regulus used to send them to one another when one of them was grounded. Luckily, the Ministry of Magic didn't seem to consider this a true form of underage magic. Sirius had shown James how to do it once or twice just in case, and now watched as he bent over his desk to write.

Yes.

"Now, the Lumos charm," Professor Flitwick continued up front, "is one of the more useful spells a witch or wizard could hope to learn. Observe..." Flitwick was a very short man (rumor had it that he a dash of goblin ancestry), but that did not mean that he wasn't a skilled Professor: he was head of Ravenclaw house, and Sirius reasoned that he hadn't just been given the position by default. The Professor drew the shades with his wand, and the room was plunged into darkness.

"Lumos!" he cried, and the tip of his want lit up, re-illuminating the area with a soft golden glow.

When should we do it?

Sirius wrote only when Professor Flitwick's back was turned, in order to hide the note as best as possible, even if the letters had already disappeared. Fortunately, it seemed he hadn't notice until -

"Nox!" He said suddenly, and the light vanished. "I'd rather you didn't write notes in my class, Mr. Black." he said cheerfully as he reopened the shades.

Sirius smiled, embarrassed. "Yes, Professor."

"Now then," Professor Flitwick went on, "this spell is not without its limits. One of the only things its light cannot penetrate is Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder, a very rare substance that is…."

Sirius peered down at his notes again to see if James had written anything back. And sure enough, written there in black ink was his response:

Today. Lunch.

xXx

The Hall was buzzing with the hum of laughter and the clink of china as Sirius walked through the doors to meet James. He'd recently developed an annoying habit of meeting Lily Evans at lunch every day, making this meeting that much more inconvenient than it already was. As far as Sirius was concerned, this was a waste of valuable time. But James seemed determined to make the meeting possible at all costs, even if it meant canceling something he had already planned with Sirius.

'_What could he possibly see in her…_' Sirius thought glumly as he approached the Gryffindor Table.

"…obviously doesn't want to talk to you." He heard someone say to James, who responded:

"Shut up, Snivellus. What do you know, anyway? She only talks to you because you can't make any other friends!"

Coming up beside James, Sirius saw Lily, tears forming in her eyes, and Snape, who looked as though he might murder James.

"That's not true, Potter!" shouted Lily, although she wasn't loud enough to cause a disturbance. "Although someone as thick as you wouldn't know that!"

She gathered her things and took hold of Snape's sleeve. "Come on, Severus, let's just go."

And without another word they both walked out of the Hall and disappeared up the staircase.

"Pfft…" James ran a hand through his hair, clearly upset. He had reacted the same way after their first meeting with the pair on the train, seeking revenge with a spare dung bomb he must have packed before arriving at the station. "Why would she hang out with someone like Snape?" he muttered angrily to himself. "Stupid git..."

"You really know how to impress a girl, mate." Sirius said as he approached his friend.

"Shut it," James said coldly. "Like you could do better, you don't even know what happened!"

"Doesn't matter," replied Sirius, "it was obviously your fault."

James did not respond, but merely stared blankly into space before –

"So what'd you want, anyway?" clearly he wanted to change the subject, and Sirius happily obliged.

"That tunnel, remember?"

"Oh, right…" he said glumly. "Well, let's go then."

They found Remus and Peter, who stared sadly at their half-eaten lunches before gathering their things, and together the four of them made their way back to the tunnel. Sirius let it close behind them after they had all climbed inside, and they were plunged into the dark, damp, and mysterious. It was colder inside than the temperature of the door itself had let on, and they quickly began to shiver, bundling up as best they could with only their uniforms to warm them.

"Lumos," whispered James, imitating professor Flitwick as best he could. Luckily, it worked just enough that the tunnel was lit up a bit, revealing the way. Having the only source of light, James took the lead, with Sirius not far behind. The structure led the group down a small slope for what seemed like 10 minutes, but with the monotone of the walls it was only a matter of time before they would lose track of how long they had actually been inside. However, it was not the same in all places: here and there the walls were cracked and worn with age, or were severely in danger of crumbling completely. The ancient tunnel looked about ready to give its last.

They continued on for another few minute until finally, out of the blue, they entered a small room about 10 or 12 feet in height. The room was square like the tunnel, but much larger. Maybe about 20 feet in either direction, Sirius guessed. It was basically a small cube build directly underneath… wherever they were. Sirius theorized that they must still be inside the castle, since the tunnel continued on from another opening on the opposite wall, and he couldn't hear anything from whatever may be at the end.

"What'd you suppose this is for?" he thought out loud, but none of them had an answer. It was clearly built there for something though.

Suddenly, they began to hear a low rumble above them, and a few pieces of lose wall fell to the ground. Other students were walking above their heads, unaware of what lay only a few feet below their shoes. "Must be lunch is over," James offered.

Sirius nodded in agreement, beginning to feel the familiar sensation of disappointment eating away at him once again. For the second time, they were forced to abort their plans, and although they had gotten farther in this time, Sirius had a feeling that they had discovered something important. The door closed behind in with a gut-retching thud that seemed to echo inside his mind long after he had left.

Several uneventful days passed, and before long the four friends found themselves trapped, once again, in the drearily slow pace of a Friday afternoon. It was the last class of the day, and McGonagall had given them all practice work to do. Of course, he and James had completed it with relative ease. Remus was only a few paces behind them, checking over his work, but Peter was struggling to master the skills presented in the chapter, only just managing to transform a small stone into something resembling a marble. Sirius found his mind beginning to wander with boredom, and time itself seemed to slow to a near stop. He stared sourly at the clock, watching as the hands turned as slow as death, seconds becoming hours, becoming weeks. Shifting his gaze toward the closest window, he could clearly see the school Quidditch pitch, a few of its House flags blowing happily in a breeze that was sure to bring winter soon enough.

_'Wonder if first years can't try for the team...'_ he thought dully as he tried to fight off the boredom. Sirius had a feeling that James would do it if they could. If not for the game, then maybe for the competition. James was that sort of individual with a thirst for action that could never be quenched. Much like himself, Sirius noted. He could never understand why anyone would want to sit and read all day; not when where was so much to see or to do. Boredom has caused him many an unwitting adventure in the past, both good and bad, and it was no different when he had discovered the tunnel but mere days ago.

_'The tunnel again...'_

It had been on Sirius' mind for a while, and he tried to ignore it. But increasingly often (especially in the middle of a boring lecture) he found himself thinking more and more about it. It wasn't that he was disappointed, but that, as was his nature, an insatiable curiosity was building about what lay beyond their stopping point. It was begging him, urging him, constantly nagging him to go back. If they went, he mused to himself, then they would know for sure if anything was down there. And if not, they could say "well done" to a little fun outside of school. He could only see positives in going, and it was quickly becoming a plan instead of an idea.

But as with light and dark, there was a negative side to the positives. The biggest challenge would be finding time. During the week they had classes, and during non-school hours the halls were filled with students. The only remaining time would be after dark, when they were supposed to be in bed. But students weren't allowed to roam the halls, because without teachers to monitor them all sorts of mischief could -

And suddenly, in a moment of inspiration, Sirius knew the answer to his problem. They would go back to the tunnel, aided by the cloak of night. It was brilliant! There wouldn't be a soul to catch them - other than the ghosts, of course, but even then it was hard to believe that they would be seen if they were careful enough. He smiled to himself, checking his plan over again in his mind to make sure it was solid.

_'Now if we could just...'_

"...rius,"

"Wha..?" Sirius said stupidly, his train of thought suddenly crashing.

"Class is over, Sirius." Remus said. "Didn't you hear the bell?"

"Oh." Sirius replied. "Sorry, I was thinking."

"For the first time, huh?" James called by the door. "Did it scare you?"

"Oh, ha, ha, James." Sirius said back, following Remus out of the classroom.

xXx

It was nearly eleven 'o clock at night, and the Gryffindor common room was empty but for four first year boys. The fire had dimmed, and began to sputter between life and death. A waxing crescent moon cast soft blue light into the places where the fire's couldn't reach, casting eerie shadows in a sea of contrasting blues and reds, and clearing the sky of nearby stars.

"So that's the plan. What do you guys think?" Sirius said, watching the other three for any significant reactions to what he had proposed, but no one said anything. James was lying on the couch closest to the fireplace, his eyes closed and glasses slightly askew. Remus was slouched over at a nearby table, his chin resting on his arms. And Peter sat in one of the squashy arm chairs, his head rising and falling with the slow onset of sleep.

"Well?" he pushed.

"Sirius, it's the middle of the night..." James said lazily. "Did you really have to do it at, what, three in the morning?"

"It's not even midnight yet!"

"We're not supposed to leave the Common Room after dinner anyway." came Remus' voice. "If you leave, you're going to get a detention."

"Not if we're careful. And even if we do get caught, so what? It's not like one detention is going to-"

"Why are you so intent on going through with this anyway, Sirius? It's probably just going to lead somewhere pointless like one of the trick staircases." Sirius could tell that James had voiced what they were all thinking. Apparently, failing twice was enough.

"Because... Because..." Sirius hesitated. Again, his mind was blank for a reasonable thing to say. Maybe he didn't have a reason. Maybe it was just the thought of breaking a routine that was quickly becoming old. Maybe he was just being crazy about the whole thing. He couldn't decide. And really, he didn't care. All he knew was that he wouldn't be able to get this off of his mind if he didn't go now, and that would lead to much worse things than a detention.

"Because... I just want to know what's on the other side of the stupid thing. It'll be something fun to do, I guess." he said finally, but they still looked unconvinced. "Besides, it would be kind of neat to have a secret tunnel all to ourselves, you know?" he went on, playing his last card. "I can't really give you a better explanation."

"Lucky I still want to go..." James said, struggling to sit up. "But the next time you make a discovery leave me out of it."

Sirius smiled. "Whatever, like I'll ever find something like this again anyway. You know me, I hardly pay attention to anything."

"So how are you going to avoid being seen? Mrs. Norris is still awake, and what about the ghosts?" Remus obviously didn't like the sound of going out after hours.

"Well, if you were coming with us, you'd find out, wouldn't you?" Sirius said, trying to reel in the remainder of the group. "What about you, Peter? Are you coming?"

"Um... I guess so." He said, and went over to stand by Sirius and James.

"So we're all set then? No one wants to stay behind?" Sirius asked the others one last time. Just because he was going didn't mean that they had to. "What about you, Remus?"

"I'd rather not have to spend an afternoon in detention,"

"There's no one out there to catch you, you know. What are you so worried about?"

"I just don't want to get expelled." he replied lamely.

"Why would you get expelled? It's not like some other bloke hasn't done the same thing once before. If we do get caught – which we probably WONT because it's do dark- the worst thing we could get is a few detentions."

But Remus wasn't convinced. He had that anxious look that Sirius was becoming all too familiar with."Sirius, if you're seen, you-"

"Wait a minute." James said. "What if we were invisible?"

"What?" Both Remus and Sirius looked at him with disbelief.

"I said," he repeated, "'What if we were invisible?'" He dashed off to their dormitory, returning after a few moments with what looked like an old bundle of clothing in his arms. "Feel it."

Sirius did so, and was surprised to find that the silvery cloth felt like nothing of the sort, but more like a half-liquid substance. It was silky and it ran over his fingers like water, without a sound. "What is it?"

"An invisibility cloak." James said. Sirius watched as James put it on, and his body seemingly disappeared. "My father gave it to me a little while back."

There was no way they would get caught now. "Rem, if this isn't enough to get you to go, I don't know what is."

Remus hesitated, as if unsure what he should do. Sirius didn't see any reason for him to be so worried, but he clearly was. He sighed. "You know, you don't have to if you really don't want to. Don't think I'm forcing it on you or anything." He turned towards the common room exit, Peter and James' head following him. Pushing past the painting of the Fat Lady, the three of them draped the cloak over themselves, and climbed down onto the floor.

"Wait!"

"Decided to come along anyway, eh?" James said as the cloak was draped over the fourth member of their party.

"Just this once." Remus replied. "And I'm not making a habit out of this, do you know how much trouble we could get in?"

"Enough to make you sound like my second mother." Sirius said quickly.

"What?"

"Nothing. Now be quiet or we _will_ get caught!" Without another word, the four of them headed out.


	7. The Tunnel

I'm really sorry about the delay, everyone. I just haven't had any ideas in forever. Not only that, but I've been so busy No time to think. Anyway, I plan on getting the next chapter up much much sooner. At least I have an idea of what to do with it :P

Anyway, thanks for even clicking on this thing after the wait. You guys are awesome, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

--thebluevalentine

* * *

_**I Solemnly Swear that I am Up to No Good  
Chapter 7: The Tunnel**_

The castle - while warm and alive during the day - was cold and formidable at night. The moon cast unearthly shadows across the dark wooden floors, and without the torches lit it was nearly impossible to see anything, but the four young boys avoided making light themselves for fear of catching the glance of any wandering eyes. The only sounds they made as they passed were the occasional footstep, and – if anyone could hear it – the sound of their breathing, and with the newfound power in James' invisibility cloak, it seemed Sirius had been right: maybe they weren't going to get caught. Still, Remus was chiding himself for coming, and quite honestly, he still couldn't figure out why he had. He hoped that it was because at least a part of him wanted to, even if the other parts would never let this go. But, there was also a part of him that wondered if it was just because of his friends. Not because they forced him into it - because Sirius had offered him plenty of chances to say no – but because he was worried of what they might think. But the worst of the thoughts on his mind were those that pondered what would happen to him if they were caught. Sure, if he got caught he had no previous record, but they hadn't been there all that long, and to get into trouble just like that... His parents had been so thrilled to hear he had been accepted to Hogwarts – what if he was throwing that away by coming out with the others tonight?

Whatever the reason was, he hoped it would have no sway on similar decisions in the future. Remus knew from stories that Filtch the school caretaker and his hellish cat Mrs. Norris prowled the school at night, searching for any would-be troublemakers who would then find themselves on the receiving end of the old man's bitterness. He had no desire to seek a confrontation with that terrifying pair. Once or twice he thought he saw the flicker of his lantern, but the group never made it close enough to tell for sure. Anyone looking for them would have been hard pressed to find them.

And yet, even without a human enemy, not all of the portraits were asleep, as much as they tried to act it, so the group still had to move carefully. The portrait of an elderly safari adventurer was one such painting. Alerted by a careless whisper, the boys inched under his portrait in time to hear, "What was that? Do you see anyone?"

He was answered with the voices of several other portraits.

After what seemed like an eternity, the group came to the Fifth Floor, passing the statue of Boris the Bewildered. A lost-looking wizard with his gloves on the wrong hands, Boris certainly deserved his title. The shortest route from Gryffindor Tower came down by the statue of old Boris, and even under the circumstances it was hard for Remus to ignore the irony that the statue of a lost man was pointing them in the right direction.

"One more floor." Sirius whispered once they were out of the hearing range of a group of paintings. "The closest staircase to the fourth floor is down that way." he added, pointing in the opposite direction.



"Why did we come this way then?" James asked, holding a low-hanging piece of the cloak out of his way so that he could see the others. "Wouldn't it have been faster to go the other way?"

"I don't think so. This route was the shortest way down from the Tower, so -"

"Guys?" said Peter.

"- we eliminated a few minutes by not having to take all those extra turns."

"What about the Library?" James inquired. "Couldn't we have gone through there?"

"Er... _Guys_?" Peter tried again.

"I was asking around earlier," Sirius replied, "and a few of the people said that it was -"

"_Guys_!"

"_What_?"

"C...C..." Peter stumbled as he began to shiver uncontrollably.

"Peter, what is it?" Remus asked him, his heart beginning to pound.

"Is it Filch?" Sirius looked over his shoulder anxiously.

Peter shook his head, now quivering from head to toe. "C...C..."

"Peter, _just tell us what it is_!"

"C-Cat!"

Remus felt his blood run cold as he turned and caught the subtle shine of a cat's eyes. Mrs. Norris. Her skeletal build and dust-colored fur made her look almost ghostly, and knowingly or not, she was steadily walking towards the four invisible (they hoped) boys. Time seemed to slow, and none of them moved or said anything, as if transfixed into place by her lamp-yellow eyes.

"Can she see us?" Remus heard Sirius whisper to James.

"I don't know." came the reply.

"Then how is she following us?"

"Maybe if you would _shut it_ she would leave!"

"Wait, look!" Remus whispered as he watched, barely daring to move, even under the cloak. The others did as they were told and saw, to both their surprise and dread, that Mrs. Norris had 

stopped halfway towards them and had begun to sniff the floor. "She can't see us."

"Smelling us is just as bad!" hissed James into Remus' left ear.

"What should we do?" Peter squeaked in from his right. "She could follow our scent!"

"What _can_ we do?" Sirius said shortly. "Maybe if we just keep going she'll...get bored?"

"_What_?" Remus breathed. "You think she's just going to get _bored_?!"

"Well if you have another bright idea, then, please, fill the rest of us in!" Sirius retorted.

"_Meow_?"

The four of them turned to face their tracker. She was waving her tail back and forth, her eyes, large and bright, focused directly on them. She knew they were there, and she looked ready to pounce.

"Just go!" James yelled, and at once the four of them whirled around and headed down the hall. It was harder to run under the cloak – they were far from adult size and it threatened to catch under their feet, sending them toppling over - but they didn't want to stop for anything and pushed along, hoping none of the portraits – now awake and very confused – would catch a glimpse of their feet.

They finally reached the end of the hallway and the passage to the fourth floor was in sight when suddenly -

"AARGH!"

Peter, the shortest of them, tripped. In an attempt to stop his fall, he reached out and grabbed onto the arm of a nearby suit of armor – but because of the suddenness of the impact, it ripped out of it's socket and both it and Peter fell to the ground, the rest of the armor accompanying them with a resounding clatter.

'_Oh, now that was exactly what we needed_!' Remus thought desperately as Sirius and James tried to drag Peter from under the fallen suit and back under the cloak.

"Peter, you could at least TRY to help!" Sirius shot him angrily.

"My arm is stuck under something!"

"Is Mrs. Norris still following us?" James half grunted as he grabbed hold of Peter's leg and began to pull.

Remus looked around, and other than the portraits behind them moving around half-asleep, there was no movement. "I don't see anything. Maybe the noise scared her away."  


The armor screeched and moaned as James and Sirius gave one final heave, pulling Peter free. "How thick are you?" he glared. Peter shrank against the wall and said nothing. It would have been laughable if the circumstances were different.

They decided to leave the suit where it was instead of picking it up. It would probably just pick itself back up anyway, but the loud noise was enough to attract serious attention. Hopefully the portraits hadn't seen them, but that thought was hardly likely after such a display of grace. If they got away in time, the least that could happen was that it wouldn't be blamed on them. When they did finally see the mirror that lead to the tunnel, Remus was none too pleased. "That went well."

Sirius and James looked at him. "Let's go again!" the former joked, while the latter smiled, brushing his messy, dark hair out of his eyes with relief. Suddenly they noticed that, along with the time of day, the paintings from earlier had changed since their last visit. The snow owl had disappeared, to be replaced only by a small branch and it's nest, which was filled with a clutch of 3 beautiful eggs, and the bird-like woman had entered another painting down the line, and she and another woman were watching them. After a brief moment to catch their breath, the four of them pulled open the mirror once again and cast themselves into the hollow darkness of the tunnel for the third and (Remus hoped) final time.

"At least we can have a light in here." Sirius said, his breath fogging a little from cold. He slipped the cloak off, tucked it under his arm, and lighting the tip of his wand like James had last time, they began to follow the tunnel down as it led them along, sloping downwards, toward the chamber and whatever it was that lay beyond. The light hadn't improved any, so maybe it was the adrenaline from the encounter with Mrs. Norris helping or maybe it was something else, but along the cracked and sullied walls Remus thought he could see the occasional hand print. Following the wall both too and from either end of the tunnel, there were various marks and smudges from who knew how long ago gathered together with the wear and tear of time. Although there weren't all that many, as a secret tunnel would suggest, mixed together with the many crack lines they looked like insects trapped in a spider's web. They continued along the walls until, at last, they came to the small chamber they had entered before and set the Invisibility Cloak down.

"Guys, come here." James said curiously. He had one arm held out in the opposite entry way and one arm back in the room where they were now. He turned his head towards the others and the left lens of his glasses, which was closest to the entry way, had fogged up almost completely. "It's freezing in there."

"What do you suppose is on the other side?" Peter asked, a puzzled expression taking over his face.

"I think it may lead outside." Sirius stated as he stepped past James and into the mouth of the second tunnel. The others followed him. It was soon clear that this side was much different from the other. Compared to this one, the darkness and cold of the other tunnel was nothing. This side was damp, cold, and very brittle. Water dripped from collections on the ceiling and dribbled down the walls, into the stone itself through the thousands of tiny cracks and holes that littered 

the structure, making it look more like broken glass than a spider's web.

As they got closer and closer to what they hoped was the end of the path, the ground seemed to soften. Moss. Whatever this tunnel had been used for, it had been quite some time since it had been performed. Still, it was interesting to think about what the original purpose was. Hogwarts had been built as a school from the beginning – why would they build a tunnel like this? And who built it? It was large enough for an adult to walk through standing. Maybe it was an escape route, in case there should be some kind of emergency? But then, why would it have been so secret? Wouldn't it be important to tell others where such a route was? Remus doubted it was built for smuggling anything. It didn't seem like the best idea to just pop in on the fourth floor with something illegal in your possession.

'_Maybe_' he thought, '_it was just build to make people like Sirius curious. It certainly succeeded in that._'

Suddenly, they began to notice an odd color in front of them, highlighted on the canvas of black shadow. This side of the tunnel, it seemed, was far smaller than it's companion.

"That's the exit!"

The four Gryffindors emerged from the cold, dark, dank of the tunnel and emerged into the open. They were underneath the school. Looking up, Remus could see the many towers, a dark hue of purple against the black sky. The stars shone brightly like millions of tiny crystals, and there was not a cloud in sight. The waning crescent moon was reflected back into the sky upon the deep blue water of the Lake, it's beauty shining like a diamond. The smell of pine sap reached his nose, and he turned to see the Forbidden Forest sprouting up from the dark green earth like a wall of black fire. The forest seemed to be split slightly down the middle though, with a path of cut trees leading far down the continuing slope of the grounds, where shining through the limbs were dim lights from the nearby town of Hogsmeade. And although it was hard to see, the house they had build for him also stood out, a dark silhouette sitting upon the hillside.

It was certainly a sight to behold, nonetheless, and Remus wasn't the only one staring. Peter's mouth hung open as he gazed wide-eyed into the distance where the surrounding mountains stood tall. James watched the town in silence, only looking away to investigate any sound from the woods. And Sirius could have absorbed the entire world the way he was circling around, trying to get everything in. It was amassing to see, and for a moment, the four of them were glad they had come.

But only for a moment.

"We should probably head back inside now."

The voice was not the one Remus had expected.

"Sirius?"



"Huh?"

It had been Sirius. The one who had wanted them to come out here all along, the one who pushed them and drove them with their own curiosity to get this far – and he wanted to leave?

"You want to leave now?" James asked, an incredulous look upon his face.

"Sure." Sirius responded.

"But you were the one who -"

"I know I brought you out here." Sirius said. "I know. I just wanted to make sure you didn't get enough the first time around." He smiled. "Otherwise, there would be no reason to come back."

_**xXx**_

The four of them worked their way back through the tunnel, Sirius taking the lead. They picked up the cloak on their way back.

"Do you think we'll need it?" James asked.

"This late at night?" Sirius laughed it off. "_Nox_!" he added, flushing out the light before opening the door back into the fourth floor corridor.

"That wasn't bad." James said, stepping down onto the castle floor.

"No," Remus admitted. "That cloak of yours really helped."

"See?" Sirius beamed. "I told you we wouldn't get c-"

"_Meow_?"

"Oh, great."

"Ah-ha!" yelled Filch, the caretaker. "I found you, you little troublemakers! You didn't think you would get away with this wandering after hours, did you?"

Filch ranted on about the things he was going to make them do during detention for several moments.

"Sirius?" Remus whispered.

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to kill you."


End file.
